Hollow fluorescent character and mounting



March 4, 1952 J. VIGON HOLLOW FLUORESCENT CHARACTER AND MOUNTING Filed Sept. 21, 1951 Q Q 875w Patented Mar. 4, 1952 HOLLOW FLUORESCENT CHARACTER AND MOUNTING Jule Vigon, Chicago, 111., assignor to Precision Plastic Products, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 21, 1951, Serial No. 247,660

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to fluorescent house address numerals and means for mounting the same and more particularly is directed to a type of numeral and mounting in which the numerals are individually assembled to the mounting means.

Heretofore, numerals of the general character here involved have been constructed with mountings in which the numerals are slidable into a channel shaped member holding the same in place for mounting so that a group of numerals can be secured upon a wall or sign. Such numerals have in all cases been either metal or of an opaque substance. In every case the channel shaped member holding the group of numerals has been formed of some metal. Metal house numerals and metal channel shaped members corrode, irrespective of whether formed of brass, steel, or other usually available metals. It is unfeasible and uneconomical to produce such articles from stainless metals. It is a common sight to see the wall below house numerals streaked with rust or copper carbonate due to the rain washing down the products of oxidation and carbonation from the house numerals.

So far as I am aware, there have never been house numerals and mountings which were completely inert and non-corrosive, and which were simple and economical in construction and in installation. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide such articles.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a house address numeral which is formed of molded plastic and which is mounted in a molded plastic channel member holding a group of such numerals in assembly.

The use of fluorescent numerals is well-known, and it is also known that for the best fluorescent effects it is required that the backs of the numerals be colored white. The invention utilizes fluorescent numerals, but instead of coloring the backs white, provides a backing therefor which, not only provides the necessary reflective backing but also serves as a plate for enabling the numeral to be fitted to the mounting means. Another object of the invention is the provision of this novel feature and the economy occasioned through the use thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated derstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of this invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, this invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled group of house numerals mounted in a mounting in accordance with my invention and secured to a wall or the like, one of the numerals being partially removed therefrom to show the construction thereof.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one of the numerals and the mounting along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and in the indicated direction.

Fig. 3 is a, top plan view of one of the numerals outside of the mounting.

Generally the invention resides in mounting transparent fluorescent numerals upon plastic wafers or plates the color of which is suchas to enhance the fluorescence of the letters, and inserting a group of these mounted numerals in a channel shaped member also formed of plastic,

1' the wafers or plates being slidable within the channel which holds the same in assembly. The group upon the mounting is secured to an upright by means of fastening devices which protrude into the channel track thereby preventing removal of the numerals.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character It) designates generally my new device mounted upon an upright wall II. The wall ll may be presumed to be the wall of a house, for example, but it is desired to point out that the invention is equally suitable for use on ofiice doors, stock bins, kennels, hotel doors, trucks, and the like. The principal feature thereof, namely, non-corrosiveness, is of primary importance with respect to the use of the numerals outdoors or in corrosive atmospheres. V

The device It) is shown formed of five parts, four mounted numerals l2, I3, [4 and I5, and the in e accompanying awi s, and p t u ar y mounting frame It. The numerals are a1l conpointed Out in the appended claims, it being unstruoted alike although they are formed as different numerals, and hence the construction of only one, namely M, will sufiice for a complete explanation of the invention. It will be noted that numerals l2, l3 and 14 in the form of the respective numbers 3, '7 and 4 are arranged in the mounting frame side by side at the left end thereof as they will be when the mounting frame has permanently been secured to the wall, and that the numeral 15 is shown partially out of the mounting frame at the right hand end thereof to show the manner in which the device is assembled.

Considering now Figs. 2 and 3, the numeral 14 is formed of front and side walls I! and I8 re spectively, and are preferably molded in a unitary formation. The back of the numeral is open so that the interior of the numeral is hollow. The numeral is molded from a transparent plastic which is responsive to light in a manner causing same to fiuoresce when light impinges thereon. There is available on the market a fluorescent plastic material in which the fluorescent chemicals are dispersed throughout the plastic, namely, incorporated within the plastic material. It is contemplated making the invention from such commercially available material. With this hollow formation, rather brilliant effects are achieved, but as in the case of fluoescent numerals and letters heretofore known it is necessary that the rear of the numeral be colored white. This has heretofore been done by means of paint, requiring additional labor and material costs to be added to the sign or group of letters or numerals formed.

I mount my numerals upon a wafer or plate 23 of white plastic material by cementing the backs of the numerals thereto with a plastic solvent or transparent adhesive of any of the well-known compositions. The resulting joint is indicated at 21 in Fig. 2. The expedient of so mounting the plastic letters serves many purposes. It closes off the hollow IS in the center of the numeral; it provides the necessary white reflective surface for the back of the numeral to give it highly refiective properties; it renders the numeral rigid and easy to handle and strengthens the same. In addition, it provides a means for mounting the numeral as presently will be explained.

I provide a channel-shaped plastic frame member designated generally l6 which is formed with a base portion 22 and upper and lower flanges 23 and 24 respectively which are hookshaped in cross section and considerably undercut. The frame member is preferably extruded as a continuous ribbon in a continuous economical operation and then cut to size. In this manner there is no handling of metal, stamping, and the like associated with metal channels. In addition, the member is uniform throughout, has no sharp edges liable to cut the workman assembling the same, and is totally non-corrosive. I prefer forming the same of white plastic to match the wafers or plates and so that the letters or numerals appear to be mounted on a continuous background.

It will be noted that the numeral I4 is shorter than the plate so that there is a substantial lip 25 at the top and a similar lip 26 at the bottom. The lips are adapted to be engaged within the hook-like flanges 23 and 24 respectively of the frame member IS with the free ends 21 and 28 of the said flanges extending inwardly over said lips and almost to the top and bottom respectively of the walls of the numerals.

The numerals are installed in the frame member 16 by the simple expedient of sliding the same into the track of the channel formed in the said member Hi. This is best illustrated in Fig. 1 where the numeral [5 is being inserted into the channel of the frame member IS.

The ends of the planar portion 22 of the member 16 are provided with suitable holes (not shown) so that some manner of headed fastening means such as the screws 29 and 30 may be inserted therethrough and driven into the wall II to support the assembly H]. In this manner the head of the respective fastening device serves as a stop member to prevent removal of the numerals once same have been installed. In Fig. 1 the screw 29 has been shown in place while the screw 30 is in position to be screwed home after the numeral I5 has been slid into its permanent position.

It is believed that this invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment'of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the specific details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of this invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

As a new article of manuiacture, a display character unit of the character described comprising a front wall and a pair of side walls defining a chamber therebetween open at its back and forming character, said walls being formed of a mixture of fluorescent and plastic materials constituting same transparent fluorescent plastic walls, and a thin rectangular wafer of white, opaque plastic secured to said side walls closing off said back, said wafer having its peripheral edges disposed outside the peripheral edges of said front wall and supporting said walls thereon.

JULE VIGON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,943,740 Olson Jan. 16, 1934 2,018,175 Knight Oct. 22, 1935 2,188,518 Pearson Jan. 30, 1940 2,202,888 Auer June 4, 1940 2,299,331 Marinone Oct. 20', 1942 2,341,964 Wagner et a1 Feb. 15, 1944 2,358,867 Madan Sept. 26, 1944 

